Mission
Watch the video of photos from our summer 2023 Appalachian Service Project trip!
RPC members support a number of mission ministries on an ongoing basis. Among those are:
Riverside Area Refugee Resettlement Team
Riverside Area Refugee Resettlement Team is a partnership between RPC, Ascension Lutheran and the greater community. We co-sponsor families, bringing them to the Chicago Area and providing housing, mentoring and financial support. Our co-sponsor Refugee One provides job, language and educational assistance.
Little Food Pantry
RPC keeps a glass-front cupboard right outside the office/preschool doors stocked with non-perishable food items that are available to anyone who needs them, 24/7/365. We also supplement the non-perishable food offerings with fresh produce four days a week which is located in two refrigerators directly across from the Little Food Pantry. If you would like to participate in assisting the over 70 local residents who access the pantry each day, small donations may be left in the bin next to the fridges. Or, click the button below for larger food drives, to volunteer, or provide financial support.
5th Sunday: Word and Deed
5th Sunday: In months where there is a 5th Sunday, RPC worships in a unique way. A very brief service is held followed by mission work. Projects range from preparing food for BEDS or The Boulevard, to creating blessing bags for people without homes, to cleaning the riverbank, and writing politicians advocating for causes.
BEDS PlusFor twenty years, BEDS Plus has been offering a warm meal and safe sleeping locations for the west suburban homeless community. Individuals from RPC have volunteered at the BEDS Plus church sites in Western Springs, LaGrange, LaGrange Park, Brookfield, Indian Head Park and Lyons. Volunteer opportunities include helping to prepare and serve meals, and assisting in preparing for overnight stays.
Heifer InternationalDan West (1893-1971), a Christian aid worker in Spain during their civil war, agonized over the life-and-death decisions involving cups of reconstituted milk he gave to starving children. It was never enough, and infants who received no milk died. These children don’t need a cup of milk; they need a cow, he thought. He dreamed of bringing some cows from his native Indiana so they could produce their own milk. Then he got another idea: Why not send pregnant cows, so those who receive the gift of life in the name of Jesus Christ can pass it along to others and become part of the chain?
When he returned home in 1938, he told dairy farmers in his town of his idea. When WW II ended, West and others began to ship cows and then sheep, goats, chickens, and rabbits to people on both sides of the conflict. The idea grew and many churches joined in. Since then, millions of animals have been given to people in 128 different countries by the organization Dan West founded: Heifer International. (Reprinted from The Upper Room daily devotional of December 4, 2006.)
School Supplies
The RPC annual school supplies drive will focus on items for elementary school for needy children in west suburban communities serviced by Community Support Services (headquartered in Brookfield). Please bring items to the appropriate baskets in the church lobby for distribution in early August.